Burial apparatus



May 12, 1936. R. R. THOMAS BURIAL APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 27, 1934 1?. B. 07fiama6- May 12, 1936. R. R. THOMAS BURIAL APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1934 3 Sheets-$heet 2 May 12, 1936. R. THOMAS BURIAL APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 2'7, 1934 Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BURIAL APPARATUS 7 Robert R. Thomas, Oakv Hill, W. Va.

Application March 27, 1934, Serial No. 717,617 3 Claims. (01.27-32) This invention relates to burial apparatus and has for its object the provision of a simple and efficient mechanism whereby a casket may be very easily brought into proper position upon the lowering device. A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment for a casket lowering device which will firmly support the casket priorto its being lowered into the grave and which will automatically drop into pendent posi- 10. tions at the sides of the grave when released to permit lowering of the casket. It is also an object of the invention to provide a device for the stated purpose which will be compact and which will not be of such large dimensions as to be un- 1 5 duly prominent when in position. The several stated objects and other objects which will appear incidentally in the course of the following description are attained in such a mechanism as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and ,2 the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device 25 showing it in position upon a casket lowering apparatus,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the casket support removed from the lowering device, Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same, 30 Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section on the line 5-5: of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section on the a; line 6--6 of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.. 4 0, In the drawings, the reference numeral l indicates a lowering apparatus which comprises shafts 2 mounted in end supports and straps 3 i-which are woundat their ends upon the shafts. This lowering apparatus is well-known and is 45 illustrated in a conventional manner only, in-

;asmuch'as in itself it forms no part of the present invention. As is well-known, this lowering apparatus is placed in position over the grave with the straps 3 extending between the shafts 50 and across the grave. The casket which is to ,be lowered is placed upon the straps 3 and is -th'ereby supported over the grave until an attendant, by releasing a locking device at one corner of the apparatus, permits the weight of Q5 the basket to cause the straps 3 to unwind and lower the casket into the grave, the shafts 2 turning in their end bearings as the straps un- Wind.

It frequently happens that for various reasons the pall-bearers approach the grave with the 5 casket presented endwise thereto and it becomes necessary for the pall-bearers to straddle or step across the grave, which is awkward and in-- convenient and causes considerable trouble in properly placing the casket. The primary ob- 10 ject of the present invention is to provide an attachment for the lowering apparatus whereby the casket may be very easily brought into proper position over the straps and lowered onto the same. In carrying out the invention, there are provided two frames which are engaged with the respective shafts of the lowering apparatus and which are normally locked together to extend across the grave, as shown in Figure l, and which, when released, will drop to the sides of the grave and will be suspended from the shafts. There is also provided an end guiding device, all of which will be particularly described. One of the frames comprises side bars 4 connected adjacent their ends by braces 5 and 6 and each having one end formed into a hook I which is adapted to engage around one of the shafts 2,

as shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3. The side bars 4 are preferably angle bars and taper toward their free ends, as shown clearly in Figures 2 and 3. The brace 5 is a metallic strap having its ends resting on the side bars and welded or otherwise permanently united therewith, while the brace 6 is a metallic strap having its ends turned upwardly, as shown in Figure 3, and intimately secured to the vertical flange of the respectively adjacent side bar by brazing, welding or otherwise. The brace 6 is given this distinct formation in order that it may pass below the inner frame. It will be readily understood that if the free ends of the side bars 4 be supported in the position shown in Figure 3,'the frame or outer section of the apparatus will be maintained in the position shown in full lines in said figure, while if the support be withdrawn, the outer frame and also the inner frame will immediately drop into the position shown in dotted lines at opposite sides of the grave so that the casket will rest upon the straps 3 and may be lowered without interference by the two frames or sections of the apparatus. The inner section or frame of the supporting device comprises side bars 8 which, like the side bars 4, are bent at one end into curved hooks 9 which are adapted to engage around a shaft 2 at the side of the grave opposite the hooks I and thereby suspend the inner section or frame from said shaft. The free ends of the side bars 8 are connected by a brace ii] and, near their hooked ends, a brace II is secured to and extends between the side bars, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. These braces Ill and II are preferably angle bars having their vertical flanges removed at their extremities so that the ends of the braces may rest directly upon and be permanently united with the side bars. The brace it has its extremities extended laterally beyond the side bars 8 so as to rest upon the side bars d of the outer frame and thereby aid in supporting the inner frame, and the outer side edges of the extensions or tongues l2 are turned upwardly, as shown at l3, to serve as indicators or gauges above which a side of the casket should be disposed in order to properly center the casket over the grave. Upon each of the braces l and H are mounted, rollers or balls I4 upon which the casket rests when placed in position upon the device, and intermediate the ends of the 5. frame a. third brace I5 is extended between and Similar ball bearings purpose of which will presently appear.

secured to the side bars 8, this brace being also an angle bar and having mounted thereon, at its'center, a ball or roller l6 of the same form and mounting as the anti-friction devices [4. As shown in the drawings, these devices are preferably balls of sufficient size mounted in cups or sockets on the respective supports so that frictional resistance is substantially eliminated and a casket may be easily slid to its proper position. I! are mounted on the side bars 8 at intervals in the length of the same so that the bearings will define an area of sufficient extent to firmly support the casket and permit easy shifting thereof until it is properly placed to be lowered onto the lowering straps 3, it being obvious that when resting on the. bearings, the casket will be held slightly above and out of contact with said straps. v

A strap or bar 58 is secured at one end to the brace IE or to the roller support thereon and extends therefrom over the brace H, as clearly shown, the outer free end of this bar being turned upwardly, as shown at H], the upturned end or flange being provided with an opening or slot, shown most clearly in Figure 5 at 20, the

A longitudinal slot 2! is formed in this bar 18 and slidably mounted on the bar is a trigger 22 which has its inner end turned downwardly, as shown at 23, to pass through said slot 2!, withdrawal of said downturned end from the slot being nor- 'rnally prevented by a washeror similar device, indicated'at 2d. This trigger 22 extends through device are released, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure'S. Links 2'! are pivoted upon the trig- 'ger 22 and extend divergently inward from the pivotal connection, as shown clearly in Figure 2,

theinner ends of these links 2'! being pivoted to toggle links 28 which have their inner ends pivoted upon the supporting bar I8. 219 iscoiled around the pivot of the toggle links 23 and has its end portions diverging from the pivot and engaged with the respective links, as

A spring shown at 30, whereby the spring tends constantly to swing the links about their pivot so that the outer ends thereof move laterally toward the sides of the frame. Pivoted to the described links at the point of connection between the links 21 and 28 on each side of the device are connecting rods 3! which extend laterally and have their outer ends pivoted to bolts 32 which are adapted to engage through slots provided therefor in the vertical flanges of the side bars 8 and project under the free ends of the side bars 4, as will be understood upon reference to Figures 2, 3 and 6, it being further noted that in order to reinforce the side bars 8 and guide and slidably support the bolts, brackets 33 are secured thereto in the paths of the bolts and provided with slots through which the bolts may pass.

At one end of the lowering apparatus there is provided a channel bar or strap 34 having one end turned down, as shown at 35, whereby it may extend across the shafts 2 and be prevented from endwise movement by engagement of the downturned end with the adjacent shaft. To further guard against endwise movement, the vertical flanges of the channel bar are reduced in length, relative to the top of the bar, to abut the inner sides of the shafts, as will be understood. Brackets 36 may be secured to the bar 3 3 and engaged over the end bar of the lowering apparatus, as clearly shown in Figure l. The brackets are slotted to receive threaded studs on the bar, and wing nuts are mounted on the studs to be turned homeagainst and secure the brackets. This arrangement permits the bar 3 5 to be secured against lowering apparatus end members of different thicknesses. Balls 37, corresponding in all respects to the previously described supporting balls or rollers, are mounted upon the bar 34 and a bracket 38 is also carried by one end of said bar, a guide roller 39 being mounted in said bracket, as shown.

When the device is to be used, the outer section or frame is placed upon the ground and the inner section then held by its hooked ends while its tongues l2 are placed in proper position upon the outer section close to the brace 5. The hooked end of the inner frame is then lowered onto the brace 6 whereupon the bolts are released by pressing upon the latch member 26. The assembled frames are then placed upon the lowering device and then slid, one upon the other, until the'hooks '1 and 9 engage the shafts '2.

The pall-bearers, carrying thecasket, may approach the grave toward the end. of the same or toward the side and when approaching the end of'the grave, one end of the casketis placed upon the balls 31 and against the guide roller 39 and then merely pushed forward over the grave so that it will assume a position over the balls it, 5 and H and be supported thereby. After the center of the casket has reached a position over the last-named balls, the trigger is drawn outwardly so that the bolts will be released and. the two frames will thereupon be released and swing downwardly, as indicatedby dotted lines in Figure 3, the casket moving downwardly with them until it rests upon the straps 3 If the casket is brought endwise toward the side of the 'grave, the end of the casket is placed over the bearings M and the casket then positioned upon "the'several bearings l4, l6 and ll to be-supported thereby, and when the center of the casket is thus supported, the end of the casket is swung around in a horizontal plane so that its ends will be-brought over the'lowering straps 3 whereupon the previously described operation is performed.

In the arrangement shown in Figures '7 and 8, the side bars 8 of the inner frame are so spaced that they may fit over the side bars of the outer frame and be thereby directly supported thereon, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 8. The ends of the brace I0, in this arrangement, do not extend beyond the side bars 8 and the guiding lips l3 are over said side bars. The trigger-supporting bar or brace I8 is extended to the brace IE3, as shown, the brace l5 being omitted. To obtain a strong connection between the braces l0 and I8, the side web of the brace I8 is slit from its horizontal flange and bent to form a tongue 40, the tongue being'united with the side of the brace l0 and the end of the brace I8 being placed on and united with the top of the brace Ill. The toggle links 28 are dispensed with and the spring arms 30 have their central eye or union fitted upon a stud 4| on the brace l8. Bearing guides 42 for the bolts 32 are formed integral with the brace I I and permanently united with the side bars 8. It Will be understood that bearing balls, such as M, may be mounted on the brace l8 and at other points where deemed advantageous.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided an exceedingly simple apparatus whereby a casket may be supported over a grave without subjecting the pall-bearers to any inconvenience or necessitating any extra exertion by them. When the trigger is drawn outwardly, the bolts are withdrawn to permit the frames to drop under their own weight and the spring latch member will automatically engage the upturned end [9 of the trigger supporting bar so that the trigger and bolts will be held in the retracted position until further use of the device is required. The device is exceedingly simple and compact and may be easily applied to any lowering apparatus. While the ends of the bolts project under the free ends of the side bars of the outer frame, as clearly shown in Figure 6, and thereby support said frame, and the projecting ends I2 of the brace l0 extend over the outer frame and thereby firmly support the free end of the inner frame, this construction also enables the apparatus to accommodate possible variations in the width of the lowering apparatus inasmuch as, while the frames are firmly supported and locked together, they are not held against relative transverse movement and, therefore, may be easily adjusted to suit the lowering apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, 1- claim:

1. Means for the purpose set forth comprising casket-supporting frames disposed one within the other and each having hooks at one end to engage a casket-lowering apparatus for suspending the frames, bolts mounted on one frame and arranged to project under the free end of the other frame, means on the first mentioned frame yieldably projecting the bolts to support the second-mentioned frame, and means for retracting the bolts to permit the frames to drop into pendent position below the casket-lowering apparatus.

2. Means for the purpose set forth comprising casket-supporting frames disposed one within the other and constructed to engage the sides of a casket-lowering apparatus for suspending the frames thereon, bolts mounted on one frame and adapted to project under the free end of the other frame, a toggle connection between the innor ends of the bolts, a spring yieldably holding the bolts projected, and a trigger slidably mounted on the first-mentioned frame and connected with said toggle connection to retract the bolts.

3. Means for the purpose set forth comprising inner and outer casket supporting frames adapted to extend transversely across a grave and each having a hook at its outer end whereby they may be supported upon bars at opposite sides of a casket-lowering apparatus for swinging movement from a horizontal position across a grave to a depending position against side walls of the grave, fasteners carried solely by the inner framefor projecting transversely from sides of the inner frame and engaging the outer frame whereby the frames will be supported and held in a horizontal casket-supporting position, and actuating means carried by the inner frame for moving the fasteners to a retracted position for releasing the inner frame from the outer frame and permitting the frames to swing downwardly to a pendent position upon the casket lowering apparatus at opposite sides of a grave, said actuating means having an operating handle extending longitudinally of the inner frame and projecting from the outer end of the inner frame.

ROBERT R. THOMAS. 

